Ludington, Wisconsin: When Amy Whatley, aged six, came home from the dentist with fourteen cavities, her parents sent the bill to the kindergarten teacher, Ms. Holzman. Amy’s mother, Louisa Whatley, explained that:

For a girl who has never in her life had even one cavity to come home all of a sudden with fourteen cavities? Her father and I were shocked and angry, and we looked into the cause of these cavities. What did we find out? Her kindergarten teacher had been feeding her cake, candy, sweet juice, and doughnuts at least once a week. At home, we make a point of giving her healthy food and teaching her effective tooth-care techniques. So we were pretty incensed, and we strongly feel that, as her teacher is the primary reason she has these cavities, she ought to pay the bill. If Holzman refuses, we plan to take her to court, turn her over to a collection agency, and forcibly extract all of her teeth.

Her daughter’s school, St. George’s Episcopal Academy, issued a statement to the effect that “classroom treats are part of an established motivational approach to education, and do not, of themselves, pose any threat to our pupil’s health. We find the claims of the Whatley family altogether outrageous.” Ms. Holzman was not available for any comment, as she was busy baking doughnuts.